Functionalized exosome-loaded ginsenoside Rg1 for the treatment of ischemic stroke / 生物工程学报

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of c(RGDyK) peptide modified mesenchymal stem cell exosomes loaded with ginsenoside Rg1 (G-Rg1) on ischemic stroke. Thread-tying method was used to establish SD rats transient middle cerebral occlusion model (tMCAO). The model rats were randomly divided into tMCAO group, Exo group, free G-Rg1 group, Exo-Rg1 group and cRGD-Exo-Rg1 group, and sham group was used as control. The infarct volume was measured by 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrachloride (TTC) staining, the changes of neuron and endothelium were observed by immunofluorescence, and the expression of related proteins was detected by Western blotting. The results showed that cRGD-Exo-Rg1 up-regulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α) by activating PI3K/AKT pathway, thus promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis, effectively reducing the volume of cerebral infarction and improving neural function. In addition, the delivery of cRGD-Exo-Rg1 to ischemic brain tissue up-regulated the expression of occludin and claudin-5, and reduced the injury of blood-brain barrier. Taken together, cRGD-Exo-Rg1 was effective in the treatment of ischemic stroke by promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis, which provided experimental evidence for the potential clinical benefits of other neuroprotective therapies.

Clinical and imaging characteristics of bilateral medial medullary infarction in elderly patients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features of bilateral medial medullary infarction (BMMI)in elderly patients.Methods Clinical and imaging data of 8 elderly BMMI patients with different morphology on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MR) were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were diagnosed by MRI,while 4 patients received CTA and vascular ultrasound testing,and the other 4 patients received vascular ultrasound testing.Results All 8 cases(100.0％) had acute-onset BMMI.Patients showed varying degrees of acroparalysis(7/8,87.5 ％),dizziness (5/8,62.5 ％),dysarthria(6/8,80.0 ％),dysphagia(3/8,37.5 ％),deep or superficial sensory dysfunction(5/8,62.5 ％),consciousness disorders (2/8,25.0 ％),dyspnea (2/8,25.0 ％),and tinnitus(1/8,12.5 ％).Lesions in most patients were located in the upper part of medulla oblongata(7/8,87.5 ％).In the transverse direction of DWI,the lesions as the inverted V shape were seen in 3 cases (37.5％),the V shape(12.5％)in 1 case,the Y shape(37.5％)in 3 cases,and the heart shape(12.5％) in 1 case.All 8 patients were complicated with posterior cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion,of whom patients with heart-or Y-shaped lesions showed progressive exacerbation.After treatment,4 cases (50.0 ％) recovered,3 cases (37.5 ％) improved,and 1 case (12.5 ％) unrecovered before discharge from the hospital.Conclusions Most elderly BMMI patients have concurrent posterior circulation artery stenosis,and patients with heart-or Y-shaped lesions on MR-DWI show rapid progression and have a poor prognosis.Cranial examination with MR-DWI is helpful for early clinical diagnosis of BMMI,prediction of disease progression and effective prevention of complications.